1. Richie Lemos was an American professional boxer in the Featherweight division.
30 Facts About Richie Lemos
1. 2.
Richie Lemos became an NBA World Featherweight Champion in July 1941.
3.
Richie Lemos's parents were from Mexico, his mother Michaela from Guadalajara, Jalisco and his father Feliciano from Michoacan.
4.
At only eighteen, on July 15,1938, Richie Lemos defeated prolific Philippine boxer Pablo Dano, holder of the 1935 California World Bantamweight Title, in a ten-round points decision, though he was knocked to the mat twice.
5.
Five days after the bout, Lemos's manager announced Richie had injured his hand in the bout and would stay away from the ring for five weeks, though the time away stretched to three months.
6.
Richie Lemos came from behind to defeat Eddie Marcus in a searing ten rounder on July 18,1939, at Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles.
7.
Fatigued by the tenth, Richie Lemos summoned a last bit of energy to win by a shade in the final round, though he had been previously knocked to the mat on two earlier occasions.
8.
On December 27,1940, Richie Lemos lost to Petey Scalzo, reigning NBA world featherweight champion, in their first meeting, a non-title bout at Legion Stadium in Hollywood.
9.
On July 1,1941, in his first attempt, Richie Lemos took the NBA world featherweight title before a near capacity crowd of 9,500 from Petey Scalzo in a fifth-round knockout of a 12-round bout at the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
10.
Scalzo was briefly down in the first for a no count from a left by Richie Lemos, who appeared to take the first two rounds.
11.
Richie Lemos then chased Scalzo to a corner, delivering more punishment.
12.
When Scalzo tried to retreat, Richie Lemos tagged him with another scorching left that put his crumpled opponent on the mat for a nine count.
13.
Richie Lemos, though winning the bout took home only $1,163, a relatively paltry sum today for a world champion in a winning bout, even in 1941 dollars.
14.
On November 18,1941, Richie Lemos lost the NBA world featherweight title by a ten-round unanimous decision to Jackie Wilson at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles.
15.
Richie Lemos took only three rounds, Wilson seven, with two even.
16.
On February 3,1942, Richie Lemos had his third straight loss against Chalky Wright, reigning NYSAC world featherweight champion, at Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, when his cut left eye led to a technical knockout in the sixth round.
17.
Richie Lemos appeared to take only the second and third rounds.
18.
Richie Lemos's cut was caused by a jolting right from Wright in the fifth round which was likely the hardest punch of the contest, and Wright continued to land blows on the eye in the early part of the sixth.
19.
On March 3,1942, Richie Lemos knocked out Ray Lunny at Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles in the sixth round.
20.
Richie Lemos forced the fighting through most of the bout, and scored heavily in the close in fighting.
21.
On June 26,1942, Richie Lemos defeated Bobby Ivy in an eight-round technical knockout at Legion Stadium in Hollywood.
22.
On July 24,1942, Richie Lemos lost to 1944 NBA World Lightweight Champion Juan Zurita in a ten-round unanimous decision at Legion Stadium in Hollywood.
23.
Richie Lemos scored very few strong blows against his better skilled opponent, who seemed to gain momentum in the later rounds.
24.
Richie Lemos won their final meeting on May 7,1943, a ten-round points decision by both judges at Legion Stadium in Hollywood, achieving victory using a series of lefts and hooks with both hands.
25.
Richie Lemos took the first three rounds with jabs and hooks to the head, though Shans took the next four rounds.
26.
Richie Lemos switched to a left stance in the eighth and ninth to win on points, though Shans took the tenth.
27.
Richie Lemos worked as a truck driver, and a butcher, before becoming a custodian at an elementary school in later life.
28.
In 1989 Richie Lemos was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
29.
Richie Lemos died at 84 on October 18,2004, in Covina, California, a suburb of Los Angeles, after a long illness.
30.
Richie Lemos was survived by three daughters, fifteen grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild.